Write about how you can be more present in your life and perhaps in the life of others

I had this writing prompt today.  Trying to get back in the swing of blogging.  I miss it you know.  I miss the camaraderie with myself.  LOL.  Seriously, when I write it’s like part of me is having this conversation with another part of me as I don’t know where most of the stuff I’m writing comes from.  Just starts flowing out of me.  I miss that flow.  I miss the fun. So I decided to join a 21 day writing adventure to try and get back in the flow.  Today’s writing prompt – like an inspiration to write something – says “Write about how you can be more present in your life and perhaps in the life of others.” And so I’m stumped.  What does that mean?  More present with myself?  I mean I’m right here.  Every morning I do yoga. Okay not the past two weeks because my nose is so stuffy I can’t breath (I’m on an antibiotic now – first day no blowing so far) but my day typically starts with yoga, then a 5 minute meditation which I’m terrible at so I’m trying guided meditations. Otherwise I’m thinking about the weather, my errands, what I’m going to make for mom next Tuesday, when I’m going to get around to cleaning my apartment, do I really need to dust? Do I want to get in the car and go do some retail therapy?  Look, the sun is out, shouldn’t I be out then too?  This is where my head goes during meditation. Anyway, where was I? Yoga, 5 minute timed meditation, and now writing I’m adding. Like forced writing.  So this course is pretty cool saying as a writer the writing finds you, you just have to make yourself available. I did that with my blog finally florida.  I was available. I made it my job and it was fun.  It was my purpose. And I made myself do it.  I have no purpose now for that kind of thing.  Well, actually (see this is what I mean about half myself talking to my other half) – actually, I could be, and should be writing about this retirement thing.  I can’t tell you how many people get encouraged by my excitement over retirement. As we all should be.  There is something to be said about deserving it.  We, our generation, comes from a past of working to make ends meet. Most of us working for survival.  Few of us getting past survival to have a “nice” life.  Quite a few, but still all held together quite precariously. But we do our time, and we raise our kids and we have our homes and we get through and then the good Lord, and the social security, and there’s something that says, enough now.  You’ve done your time, you can be done (if you want to be). And that’s where I was. It wasn’t the first time out of work, but it’s the first time I’m feeling I can be done now. My time is up.  I’ve done my time. It’s rewarding.  It was hard work and we, us retirees, are being rewarded with getting our life back. Or in some cases just getting a life. Everyone, and I mean everyone asks, how are you doing it? Which my answer is “wait for the book” but another answer is how can you not do it?  You just live each day as it comes.  I live each day. I wake up, I do my schtick (and try to add to it in some meaningful way) I sign up for activities, like hiking, maybe rowing again, we’ll see, maybe horseback riding in the spring again, take a trip, I mean I am living my life.  I think what I can do with the day that is before me.  If it’s snowing and the roads are bad (which hasn’t happened yet) well then that’s a day to stay inside and think of an inside activity.  I’ve been sick for a whole month now and so these days I have often stayed in my pj’s all day. I’ve started doing crafts. I have knitting, I have a piano again.  I read a lot.  I watch TV but not until after 3 and usually not until 6. I mean my days are MY days and I do whatever I want.  That’s how you do it.  To say I’m not worried about certain things, and we all know what that means, would be a lie.  But to make it a focus of my retirement would be to deny myself the joy of being retired.  That is what I worried about when I worked.  I refuse to worry about it now. Worry adds nothing to my days. And it adds another exercise to my morning, letting go of that worry and just enjoy the day.  But this has nothing to do with being present does it?  The writing prompt of the day?  Or wait, does it have everything to do with the question? I am present in my life.  I just rambled on about this very thing. I live my life each day.  I’m present each day. Each day I look at that dust and say, “is today the day I get you?” and then let the day answer for itself.  I can tell you that dust question has been unanswered for some time.  But that’s the life of the retiree. I can let that dust go.  I can also let pants go, except when I leave the house.  I remember, when I was living in DeLand Florida, working at Stetson, my life was sooo busy that I was barely keeping up.  Jimmy came to visit me and we were running out of the apartment going somewhere and I asked him “do you ever stop to think when you’re running out of the house if you have your pants on?” and he said “no, and I’m very worried that you do.” LOL.  I’ll never forget that.  Made me laugh, but also worried.  I will tell you that I NEVER worry about if I have my pants on when I leave the house now. Now it’s more about the bra.